Device for maintaining quality of lubricating oil



s. F. PATON 2,980,257

DEVICE FOR MAINTAINING QUALITY OF LUBRICATING OIL April 18, 1961 Filed Jan. 30, 1957 INVENTOR. v Sidney F Pafon m r 244W Afforne y United States Patent 6 DEVICE FOR MAINTAINING QUALITY OF LUBRICATING OIL Sidney F. Paton, 65 Rockaway Ave., San Francisco, Filed Jan. 30, 1957, Ser. No. 637,245

1 Claim. o1. zip-fats This invention relates to adevice for maintaining the quality of lubricating oil and particularly lubricating oil used in engines of automotive vehicles.

As is well known to those skilled in maintenance of such vehicles, oil is used in their lubrication. The ef fectiveness of the oil as a lubricant will depend to some extent upon its being maintained at or about its original quality as to cleanliness and as to chemical purity.

As the moving parts of an engine operate they tend to wear, regardless of the quality of the lubricant, and it has been found that minute particles of metal will be produced as a result of this frictional engagement. These minute particles are carried by the lubricating oil, or by gravity, into the crankcase of the vehicle. "Since the I crankcase of the vehicle forms the reservoir from which oil is circulated and recirculated throughout the vehicle by the conventional oil circulationsystem, it is apparent that any metallic and abrasive particles which are carried by the oil will likewise be carried through the lubricating system. Thus it is apparent that the lubricant being circulated must be filtered and in this connection various types of filters have been provided. However it has been discovered that most filters do not remove all of the tiny abrasive particles to'which I refer and it is an object of this invention to provide a device which will serve to remove and hold these particles and it is a particular object of this invention to provide a mounting for a device of this kind which is such that all of the oil must pass within the effective operating zone of this device.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a magnetic device of this kind which will serve to attract and hold all of the ferrous metallic particles and prevent their further circulation through the oil system.

It is further 'well known that as the lubricating oil is used, it becomes acidified. Gasoline and gasoline vapors and water and water vapor tend to combine with the sulphur in the oil and form sulphureousand, ultimately, sulphuric acid. It has been found that sulphuric acid is preferential in the metal which it attacks and that the ferrous and other metallic parts of a vehicle may be protected against attack by the sulphuric acid by causing the oil (which contains the sulphuric acid) to be passed through an area immediately adjacent a mass of magnesium or other similar metals. The effect of the passage of the sulphuric acid laden oil by the magnesium is to form a magnesium sulphate, which is an insoluble sulphate, and which tends to fall off the magnesium body rather than form a shell thereabout so that a fresh magnesium surface is always provided. I

it is an object of this invention to position a mass of magnesium or other similar sulphuric acid removing material in a zone through which all of the oil must pass so that the sulphuric acid will be neutralized.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a single element which will remove the'ferrous particles and neutralize the effect of the sulphuric acids .Other objects and advantagesof this invention will Patented Apr. 18, 1961 posed-of magnetic material;

Figure 3 illustrates a modification of the device illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and illustrates a device which is composed of both magnetic material and acid'neutralizing material, and 1 I V V Fig'ure'4 represents 'a modification of the'device illustrated in Figure 3. 1

It should be: made clear at the outset that the type of oil filter illustrated in Figure 1 is not critical and that the only limitation upon the type "of oil filter to which my device is to be applied is that it be'a filter in the oil circulating system and that it be supported in a housing which supports a conventional filter element and which,

provides a sufficiently large area that my device may be inserted therein in the manner generally indicated. I have found that most conventional filters fulfill these requirements and that they provide arather large reservoir of oil within them with the result that the action of the circulating oil tends to force the oil not'only through the filter but through all portions of the reservoir.

' As is more particularly illustrated in Figure l, a conventional oil filter consists of an outer shell member 10 which is provided with an upper top casing member 11. The members 10 and 11 are adapted to be joined in a leak-proof manner and, as is indicated in Figure l, the member 11 is provided with an annular groove 12 which accommodates a gasket 13 against which the upper edge of the receptacle 10 is held. The member 11 is provided with an inlet port 16 and an outlet'port 17. The outlet port may be provided with an inwardly exaround the bolt 10.

, into the chamber throughthe inlet port 16 and circulates within the member 10 outside of the filter element 23. The oil will ultimately pass through the side walls of the member 23. and a substantial portion of the filterable material will be trapped. As the oil passes through the filter wall it will then pass through the holes 19 and outwardly through the outflow passage 17 to perform its lubricating function.

It will be noted in Figure 1 that I have provided a member 26 which is formed generally as illustrated in Figure 2. The member 26 is provided with a central opening 27 through which the bolt 22 will pass. This will serve to retain the device in a proper lateral position. This spring 24 engages the lower side wall of the -member 26 and will in this manner hold it in a predetermined position. The magnetic character of the device 26 willalso cause it to remain in'this or any other predetermined position in the oil circulating system.

" The member 26 is formed of magnetic material with 1 body lfl through the member l fi will circulate therethrough and will fall within the zone of attraction of the member 26 with the result that it will be held there and will be prevented from being further circulated throughout the system.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a simple magnetic member which may be positioned in a particular place in which all of the oil will be passed through its zone of attraction. Prior devices which have'been placed in the crankcase of the vehicle .havebeen found to be unsatisfactory. In the first place it has been found difiicult to examine them. Moreover positioning them in the crankcase of a vehicle is in some instances difficult if not impossible due to the positioning of oil pumps and other mechanical parts in the crankcase of the vehicle.

Moreover the crankcase of the vehicle forms merely a large storage reservoir and the metallic particles which I desire to trap and collect may never be caused to pass through the zone of attraction of a small magnet placed in the large reservoir formed by the crankcase.

In the modifications illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 I have added a magnesium portion to the magnetic portion of the insert. It will be seen therefore that the placing of the magnesium insert togetherwith the magnetic insert will perform the desired functions of collecting the ferrous metallic particles and of neutralizing the action of the sulphuric acid retained by the oil.

Moreover since the careful motorist is admonished by the manufacturer of his vehicle and of the filter to remove the filter element every 1,000 miles or so, it is apparent that my device will be inspected every time the filter cartridge is changed. Thus the garage attendant and the owner of the vehicle will periodically examine my. insert. Excess ferrous material may be removed therefrom very readily and the condition of the magnesium element will likewise be scrutinized.

Thus it is apparent that I have provided a useful device which is adapted to be mounted in a particularly adaeeaaee 4 I l vantageous position both from a functional standpoint in that all of the oil which is used to lubricate the vehicle must pass within its effective area and further, I have produced a device which is subect to periodic inspection, checking and cleaning.

The magnet may be of any suitable type and I have found the so-called ceramic. magnet to be satisfactory.

I claim:

In an oil filter, means defining a closed chamber, said means including a downwardly opening inlet port and an outlet port at the top of said chamber, a conventional oil filtering element in said chamber extending downwardly thereinto apo'sition adjacent but above the bottom thereof to define a, relatively small settling zone therebelow, said ports and filtering element being so arranged that oil entering said inlet port is directed thereby to flow along a flow path extending downwardly in said chamber in the outer'peripheral portions thereof then laterally inwardly through said filtering element above said settling zone and then upwardly to said outlet port whereby metal particles in said oil are directed downwardly from said inlet directly toward said settling zone, said outer peripheral portion being open at the bottom thereof to said settling zone, and a permanent magnet in said settling zone below said filtering element but above the bottom of said chamber and spaced below said'flow path to attract and hold particles of metal carried into i said chamber by said oil and before said'oil passes through said filtering element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,705,019 Jones Mar. 12, 1929 2,301,120 Kamrath Nov. 3, 1942 2,437,221 Cox'et a1. Mar. 2, 1948 2,508,666 Frantz May 23, 1950 2,764,294 Johnson Sept. 25, 1956 

